Not Bluffing
by baby-rose15
Summary: "He just looks so content and happy. Even though she's about to crush him, but he doesn't know that yet. Not as he slides the last of his chips into the middle of the green felt. "All in.""


**Meet the definition of inconsequential fluff. Also if I was Andrew Marlowe would I be posting here? Particularly after someone gave me permission to televise fan fiction.**

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Not Bluffing

It was hours ago now that she'd called him to see what he was doing this evening, not that she'd had anything in particular in mind she just hadn't seen him in a few hours so it felt right to pull her phone out of her pocket as she walked from the subway to her apartment. "Detective Beckett are you calling to report a murder?" His voice came across the line warm and jovial after the first ring. She could see his smile the way his eyes sparkled and the skin around them crinkled even joy radiating from his very being.

She couldn't stop the corresponding smile from blooming on her face, "No, Castle I managed to escape the precinct without another person dying."

"Well then Kate, how was your day?" She could just picture it the way he settled back into his leather chair and shifted gears from mystery author looking to solve a crime and into the boyfriend that she was calling just because she missed him.

Fishing out her keys, she lets herself in. "Just paperwork. I managed to finish it even if my partner wasn't around to help." Dropping her bag on the floor by the door, she made her way into her apartment. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come over and watch a movie?"

"As tempting as that sounds I actually have my mystery writers poker game tonight. Everyone happens to be in town and we figured we should squeeze in a game while it was possible." He sounds genuinely disappointed, and weirdly she's feeling a little crushed. Not that's his fault but she just wanted to see him, and had planned on it without really talking to him about it.

"Oh well, that's ok," she's twirling her hair because she's at a loss as to what to say, and she hates this, she hates being this girl, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah you'll definitely see me tomorrow," he manages. Then there's that awkward silence where both of them are disappointed and neither of them know what to say or how to fix it. But they don't hang up.

She closes her eyes. Pulls in a deep, tries to get herself together, just enough to say goodbye and remind herself that she's ok and just because he has other plans doesn't mean anything. But she doesn't even open her mouth before, "You should come," comes across the line as if it fell from his mouth unexpectedly.

She smiles though, and laughs. "Really, Castle? You want me to join in on your mystery writers poker game?"

"Yeah. You should come. Maybe Patterson will stop calling you a figment of my imagination."

She stops, hands in her pockets, surveying her empty apartment. She doesn't want to spend the night alone, and she really wants to spend it with him. Her eyes land on the bookshelf covered in not just Castle's novels, but the rest of his _Mystery Crew's_ novels as well. She could spend the evening playing poker with her favorite authors, and then the night in bed with her absolute favorite one. "Ok." She makes the decision right there on the spot, "What time should I be there?"

"7." He answers instantly, and she knows she caught him off guard when he stumbles, "Wait, really you're going to come?"

Pulling a small bag from her closet she, starts grabbing a few things for the night, and a few things that she can leave there, comfy things, a spare blouse, stuff she might need in the future. "Yeah, Castle I'll be there."

"You'll stay the night?"

"I was planning on it." She tells him zipping the bag, grabbing the new mascara and eyeliner she's bought just to leave at his place.

He chuckles just a little bit on the other end, "Well ok then, I'll see you soon."

"See you." She says with a smile and then disconnects the phone, giving herself a few minutes to clean up and change.

So, she's spent the evening sitting at the same table as the mystery greats as they lied about their cards and quizzed her on police procedure and crazy cases, every one of them looking for their next best seller. All of them but Castle, who spent the entire game just smiling this proud silly smile, keeping worse track of the game than anyone else.

But now the authors are gone and it's just the two of them going for one last hand. He just looks so content and happy. Even though she's about to crush him, but he doesn't know that yet. Not as he slides the last of his chips into the middle of the green felt. "All in," his voice is gruff and laced with a number of emotions that she's not even sure she can put words too, but they're washing over her body like a warm bath.

And that's when it hits her. He gives her this feeling all the time, it's in varying levels, but it's every day there's a moment when she feels completely awash in exactly how much he loves her.

Glancing at her hand, really they don't come much better she lifts her head, bangs falling across her eyes in that way she knows drives him just a little bit crazy before she smiles, softly back at him, and knows that everything she sees in his eyes are pouring out of hers. "All in," She mimics him, shoving the chips into the middle.

His grin spreads just a little bit as he lays down his hand, "Full house, nines high."

She can't stop the laugh that bubbles up, "Not bad Mr. Castle but it's not quite enough to beat this though." She lays down her hand with a flourish.

He freezes leaning over to look at the cars clearly a little bit disbelieving, "That's the best hand I've had all night and you go and beat it with four two's"

Standing up she walks round the table and slips her hand into his hair, "It's a good thing you love me anyway." She tells him folding herself into his lap, pleased when he wraps his arms around her and tucks his head into her hair taking a deep breath.

"Yeah good thing." He says into her hair. "Thanks for coming tonight. Patterson loved you."

"So he's accepted that I'm not a figment of your over active imagination."

The kiss to her head is soft and fleeting followed by, "Sometimes I'm not sure you're not. At least you being here isn't a dream."

Shifting back just a little bit so that she can look him in the face, "Not a dream Castle. I'm right here because this is where I want to be. Right here with you Castle." Kissing him softly, "Because I love you."

He's quiet for a minute, shock and undisguised joy rippling across his features, "Yeah?"

"Would I lie?" She asks, trailing her thumb along his cheekbone.

He chuckles now, obviously playing his own little game, "Well you didn't just spend the last two hours cleaning up with a bunch of mystery writers."

She smiles, brushing his nose with hers, "Not bluffing Castle. I love you."

"I know." Is all he says before capturing her lips.

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**Its a pretty fluffy world we live in.**

**Babyrose**


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